The Triple Engines of Leadership Fear Uncertainty has shifted from occasional shocks to an ambient rhythm of disruption.
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Policy Volatility: Rapid changes in tariffs, immigration rules, and social media-driven mandates can upend operational plans overnight.
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AI-Saturated World: Artificial Intelligence is rewriting workflows, creating existential questions about the role of human intelligence versus machine replacement.
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Geopolitical Fragmentation: The integrated global economy is splintering into regional blocs with unique sanctions and trade barriers.
How Fear Distorts Strategic Governance Neuroscience shows that acute stress redirects brain resources toward threat detection, shrinking creative capacity. This results in: Decision Deferral (waiting for a clarity that never arrives), Excessive Control (micromanagement and risk aversion), and Narrative Drift (focusing on urgent fires while losing the long-term vision).
Five Practical Steps to Regain Control
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Build a Policy Intelligence System: Establish a cross-functional desk to filter “noise” from “signals.” Use a structured brief to determine if the organization should ignore, prepare, or act based on verified policy triggers.
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Default to Real Options over Binary Bets: Avoid all-or-nothing investments. Instead, fund small-scale pilots and staged commitments that allow for learning before releasing more capital.
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Create an AI Operating Doctrine: Clarify the boundaries of AI adoption. Define “red lines” for non-AI use and commit to transparent reskilling pathways to reduce employee anxiety.
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Guard “Vision Time” as a Critical Asset: Leaders must intentionally separate operational firefighting from strategic thinking. Protect fixed blocks in the calendar for long-horizon reflection.
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Strengthen Supply-Chain Resilience through Simulation: Conduct regular “war games” to model geopolitical shocks. Build redundancy not as an inefficiency, but as a necessary insurance premium for business continuity.
Source: https://hbr.org/2025/11/how-to-lead-when-things-feel-increasingly-out-of-control?ab=HP-hero-for-you-2